St. Patrick's Day, Anticipated

If you're still contemplating your culinary plans for St. Patrick's Day, consider creating your own festive spread chez vous. My companion slaved away all day in the kitchen this past Sunday for our PSPDF (Pre-St. Paddy's Day Feast). The result? A scrumptious traditional Irish feast to share with our Chinese friends Hong and Xin. If you're looking for a St. Patrick's Day menu this year, may I recommend the Corned Beef and Carrots with Marmalade-Whiskey Glaze, courtesy of Bon Appetit. Other highlights from my companion's menu include two delicious recipes from the Irish Food Board, which I highly recommend. Colcannon, an Irish peasant dish of milk-and-butter moistened mashed potatoes mixed with chopped kale, was delicious, as was the smoked salmon on potato cakes we enjoyed as an appetizer! In my mind, however, the crowning glory was the Bread Pudding with Caramel Whiskey Sauce, courtesy of Cooking Light's web site. Only subscribers and newsstand buyers have access to the Web site, and if you are a newsstand buyer you have to enter a code from the inside of the magazine. Sshhh, don't tell anyone, but this month's code is "kitchentips." But you didn't hear it here.